We thought this article was
of interest but it comes with
CAUTIONS!
At our recent Pest Conference this method was commented on by one of our visiting speakers, an entomologist who specializes in bed bugs. After further testing it was found to be highly effective compared to commercial detectors but also comes with some serious risks that you should be aware of.
As a company we are in no way advocating the use of this method, we simply posted it as an article of interest.
Dry ice is the key ingredient in this home made detector.
- Dry ice if not handled correctedly could cause serious frost burns to skin.
- Dry ice gives off large quantities of carbon dioxide gas, which is what makes this detector effective, but also could displace oxygen in the air and pose a danger of asphixiation.
- If ingested accidently by a pet or child it could cause severe internal injuries.
Please see the following website for proper handling of dry ice.
http://www.praxair.com/praxair.nsf/allcontent/6aef77aec129fa0b85256c72006a4dd7?opendocument&urlmenubranch=8e0340f7cb2710a18525706f005112a9
Do-it-yourself bed-bug detector
With bed-bug numbers on the rise in North America, researchers test homemade bug finders
From Science News
By Susan Milius
Web edition : Friday, December 18th, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS — After trying some 50 arrangements of household objects, researchers have come up with a new low-cost, homemade bed-bug detector.
To lure the bugs out of hiding, Wan-Tien Tsai of Rutgers University in New Brunswick put dry ice into an insulated, one-third-gallon jug, the kind available at sports or camping stores. Adding 2.5 pounds of dry ice pellets and not quite closing the pour hole allowed carbon dioxide to leak out at a bug-teasing rate for some 11 hours at room temperature, she said.
She stood the jug in a plastic cat food dish with a piece of paper taped on the outside of the dish as a ramp up to the rim. The bowl’s steep, slippery inside, with an added dusting of talcum powder, kept bugs from crawling out again.
In tests in real apartments, the homemade setup detected bed bugs as well, or better, than did two brands of professional exterminating equipment, Tsai said December 16 at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America.
The parts, including the dry ice, cost $15 and don’t require any special skills for assembly. “Everyone can do it,” she said.
These days a growing number of people might want to. The tiny, night-crawling bugs that draw blood and can leave itching welts had dwindled to rarity in North America during most of the last century. But since the 1990s, outbreaks have surged. The bugs flatten themselves into crevices in furniture, fabric and even electrical devices, and can prove difficult to eradicate. Many of today’s bed bugs are resistant to pyrethroid insecticides, which account for much of indoor pest treatments.
Tsai worked with Changlu Wang, also at Rutgers, for six months on designing homemade devices that lure bed bugs out into a trap so residents can tell whether a home is infested. Like many insects that search for blood, bed bugs are attracted to plumes of concentrated carbon dioxide, good clues that an animal filled with liquid dinner is breathing somewhere nearby. In lab tests, carbon dioxide beat heat and several chemical attractants in drawing the bugs out of hiding, Wang reported at the meeting.
He has published on low-tech ways to attract bed bugs with carbon dioxide. For example, setting out dry ice in insulated travel mugs can work. Apartment dwellers don’t need research supply companies for dry ice. Beverage companies, for example, may sell it by the pound.
To design a new low-tech detection system, Tsai experimented with various setups but says her breakthrough came when she discovered the one-third-gallon insulated jugs. They performed well in lab tests, so she decided to test them in apartments that had low levels of bed-bug infestation. She searched for bed bugs herself to confirm that apartments were suitable. Then she set either her homemade detector or a commercial one in each apartment near a typical bug haven, such as the sofa.
Designing and testing a low-cost detector is a substantial contribution to the field, comments entomologist Stephen Kells of the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. During decades of low bed-bug infestations, scientists didn’t study them much. "We have literally skipped a generation of knowledge with this pest," he says.
Studies from early in the last century may not describe today’s bed-bugs well, says entomologist Andrea Polanco-Pinzón of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Older generations of bed bugs weren’t resistant to pesticides and lived in tougher environments: houses without central heating.
On the bright side though, Polanco-Pinzón reported at the meeting that her survival tests found that a pesticide-resistant strain she collected from Richmond, Va., lived at most two months without feeding. That record, set by the fifth stage of the immature bugs, falls far short of the year and a half reported in the old literature.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Environment Minister Wants YOUR Opinion on Pesticides
Province Seeks Your Thoughts on Pesticide Use
By 250 News
Thursday, December 17, 2009 03:52 AM
Victoria, B.C.- Environment Minister Barry Penner has put out the call for your thoughts on whether additional restrictions should be placed on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes.
"It just makes sense to limit pesticide use to what is actually required to accomplish a particular task, which is why we already require the use of integrated pest management for many pesticide uses in B.C.," said Penner. "We now want to have a discussion about how we can encourage all British Columbians to reduce unnecessary pesticide use."
An online public consultation has been launched asking for your views on a number of issues, including: how to define the cosmetic use of pesticides, when it is appropriate to use pesticides and how to best regulate specific pesticides that have both cosmetic and non-cosmetic uses.
Pesticides used in B.C. must first be approved by Health Canada and are also regulated through the Integrated Pest Management Act, which sets rules for both the sale and use of pesticides. The act requires pest control companies to practice integrated pest management, which includes pest prevention and considering alternatives to pesticides. The act also requires that people be notified when pesticides are used on public land, and around multi-resident buildings.
The public consultation, will remain open until Feb. 15, 2010. The results of the consultation will be made public in the spring of 2010, along with information about any next steps to address cosmetic use of pesticides in B.C..
You can make your thoughts known by visiting the website at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/ipmp/ and clicking on the Cosmetic Use of Pesticides Consultation button.
By 250 News
Thursday, December 17, 2009 03:52 AM
Victoria, B.C.- Environment Minister Barry Penner has put out the call for your thoughts on whether additional restrictions should be placed on the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes.
"It just makes sense to limit pesticide use to what is actually required to accomplish a particular task, which is why we already require the use of integrated pest management for many pesticide uses in B.C.," said Penner. "We now want to have a discussion about how we can encourage all British Columbians to reduce unnecessary pesticide use."
An online public consultation has been launched asking for your views on a number of issues, including: how to define the cosmetic use of pesticides, when it is appropriate to use pesticides and how to best regulate specific pesticides that have both cosmetic and non-cosmetic uses.
Pesticides used in B.C. must first be approved by Health Canada and are also regulated through the Integrated Pest Management Act, which sets rules for both the sale and use of pesticides. The act requires pest control companies to practice integrated pest management, which includes pest prevention and considering alternatives to pesticides. The act also requires that people be notified when pesticides are used on public land, and around multi-resident buildings.
The public consultation, will remain open until Feb. 15, 2010. The results of the consultation will be made public in the spring of 2010, along with information about any next steps to address cosmetic use of pesticides in B.C..
You can make your thoughts known by visiting the website at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/ipmp/ and clicking on the Cosmetic Use of Pesticides Consultation button.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
CANCER SOCIETY PUSHES FOR PESTICIDE BAN IN SAANICH
Dec 14, 2009
THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY WILL ATTEND MONDAY NIGHT'S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING IN SAANICH TO SHOW ITS SUPPORT FOR A PESTICIDE BAN IN THE DISTRICT. SAANICH COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT A BYLAW THAT WOULD END THE USE OF COSMETIC PESTICIDES IN THE MUNICIPALITY. CANCER SOCIETY COMMUNITY CO-ORDINATOR NANCY FALCONER SAYS THE PESTICIDE BAN IS SOMETHING THAT ALREADY HAS A LOT OF SUPPORT. "THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT ACTUALLY INTRODUCED A MODEL PESTICIDE BYLAW BACK IN 2004 AND TO DATE, ONLY ESQUIMALT AND VICTORIA HAVE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED A BAN. SO, WE FEEL THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW FOR SAANICH. IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS AND WE DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO WAIT ANY LONGER." FALCONER WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION CALLING ON SAANICH TO ENACT A BAN ON THE USE OF COSMETIC PESTICIDES BY THE SPRING OF 2010.
- LIZ MCARTHUR
CFAX 1070
Dec 14, 2009
THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY WILL ATTEND MONDAY NIGHT'S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING IN SAANICH TO SHOW ITS SUPPORT FOR A PESTICIDE BAN IN THE DISTRICT. SAANICH COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT A BYLAW THAT WOULD END THE USE OF COSMETIC PESTICIDES IN THE MUNICIPALITY. CANCER SOCIETY COMMUNITY CO-ORDINATOR NANCY FALCONER SAYS THE PESTICIDE BAN IS SOMETHING THAT ALREADY HAS A LOT OF SUPPORT. "THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT ACTUALLY INTRODUCED A MODEL PESTICIDE BYLAW BACK IN 2004 AND TO DATE, ONLY ESQUIMALT AND VICTORIA HAVE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED A BAN. SO, WE FEEL THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW FOR SAANICH. IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS AND WE DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO WAIT ANY LONGER." FALCONER WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION CALLING ON SAANICH TO ENACT A BAN ON THE USE OF COSMETIC PESTICIDES BY THE SPRING OF 2010.
- LIZ MCARTHUR
CFAX 1070
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A dogged pursuit of bedbugs
Rich Wilbert searches for bed bugs with his dog, Sara. Dogs are trained to sniff along baseboards, beds and furniture for the pheromones, the faint chemical odor that the insects emit to signal one another. (Michael Nagle / For The Times)
Signs of bed bugs(Michael Nagle / For The Times)
Rich Wilbert points out evidence of bed bugs in an apartment in Jersey City, N.J.
A Dogged Pursuit of Bedbugs
October 21, 2009
By Bob Drogin
(This artice isn't local but a very good synopsis of Bed bugs and Bed bug dogs)
There's high demand for dogs trained to track down the tiny, bloodsucking parasites that have invaded cities in the last four years.
"It can be a very valuable tool," said Richard Cooper, coauthor of the 266-page "Bed Bug Handbook" and a member of New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's new Bed Bug Advisory Board. "You can work your way through a hotel or a college dorm or a movie theater much more quickly with dogs than just relying on a visual inspection."
But Gary Alpert, an entomologist at Harvard University who specializes in bedbugs, cautions that some pest control companies use dogs as a gimmick to exploit people's fears and to charge more money.
"There are a lot of scams out there," he said.
Because dogs are given a reward if they "alert" for a bedbug, for example, they may alert just to get the food. An unscrupulous or inexperienced handler could easily use the false alarms to charge for unnecessary treatments.
"You can waste a lot of money very quickly," Alpert said. "Some handlers have no idea what a bedbug looks like."
At Bed Bug Solutions Inc. in Des Plaines, Ill., Linda DeVelasco has filled her calendar with appointments for Scooby, her beagle mutt. To avoid a conflict of interest, she sells Scooby's services independently of local exterminators who actually kill the bugs.
"Otherwise I would find bugs every place I go into," she said.
No one knows why bedbugs are back. Scientists theorize that the wingless insects hitched a ride on visitors or cargo from abroad, or that they resist pesticide better than their forebears, or even that a new, super-strong strain of household pests has evolved.
What's clear is they are hard to eradicate. Bedbugs may survive a year without feeding, and unlike termites and other insects that cluster in colonies, they can create havoc in small numbers. A single female may lay enough eggs to infest an apartment -- and then crawl 100 feet a day to bite neighbors down the hall.
In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency convened the first National Bed Bug Summit in April. The two-day conference brought together the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pentagon, state and federal housing officials, experts and exterminators to help fight the invasion.
"A year ago, I thought bedbugs were a thing from a couple of centuries ago or maybe in a children's nursery rhyme," New Jersey state Assemblywoman Joan Quigley told the summit. "I had no idea they were a modern scourge."
Quigley successfully sponsored a bill in the New Jersey Assembly, apparently the nation's first, that would require landlords to pay for bedbug eradication in most cases or face a fine. The state Senate has not yet taken up the measure.
On a recent sunny morning at Laurel House in Asbury Park, a once-grand seaside resort, Sara went room to room in a former boarding house now used to house 28 homeless people a block or so from the boardwalk.
"I've done public housing for 20 years and never heard of bedbugs until four years ago," Steve Heisman, who heads the social service agency that runs the facility, said as he followed Sara. "Now they're public enemy No. 1."
Heisman requires residents to remove pictures from their walls and to keep their clothes and clutter to a minimum to eliminate places where bugs can hide. But he still calls exterminators back "three times a year, and that's if I'm lucky," for $10,000 treatments.
That afternoon, Sara was about 50 miles north in a working-class neighborhood of Jersey City. Wilbert took her to see whether bedbugs had returned to a recently treated three-story apartment building. Out back, someone had painted "Bedbug!" in red on a discarded mattress and crib.
"We had to throw everything out," said Saroj Bala, one of the tenants. "It was an utter nightmare. I was being bitten every night.
"She anxiously watched as Sara sniffed through her living room and bedroom. Bala smiled with relief when the dog left without finding any new bugs.
"Wonderful," she said.
bob.drogin@latimes.com
The Los Angeles Times
(This artice isn't local but a very good synopsis of Bed bugs and Bed bug dogs)
There's high demand for dogs trained to track down the tiny, bloodsucking parasites that have invaded cities in the last four years.
"It can be a very valuable tool," said Richard Cooper, coauthor of the 266-page "Bed Bug Handbook" and a member of New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's new Bed Bug Advisory Board. "You can work your way through a hotel or a college dorm or a movie theater much more quickly with dogs than just relying on a visual inspection."
But Gary Alpert, an entomologist at Harvard University who specializes in bedbugs, cautions that some pest control companies use dogs as a gimmick to exploit people's fears and to charge more money.
"There are a lot of scams out there," he said.
Because dogs are given a reward if they "alert" for a bedbug, for example, they may alert just to get the food. An unscrupulous or inexperienced handler could easily use the false alarms to charge for unnecessary treatments.
"You can waste a lot of money very quickly," Alpert said. "Some handlers have no idea what a bedbug looks like."
At Bed Bug Solutions Inc. in Des Plaines, Ill., Linda DeVelasco has filled her calendar with appointments for Scooby, her beagle mutt. To avoid a conflict of interest, she sells Scooby's services independently of local exterminators who actually kill the bugs.
"Otherwise I would find bugs every place I go into," she said.
No one knows why bedbugs are back. Scientists theorize that the wingless insects hitched a ride on visitors or cargo from abroad, or that they resist pesticide better than their forebears, or even that a new, super-strong strain of household pests has evolved.
What's clear is they are hard to eradicate. Bedbugs may survive a year without feeding, and unlike termites and other insects that cluster in colonies, they can create havoc in small numbers. A single female may lay enough eggs to infest an apartment -- and then crawl 100 feet a day to bite neighbors down the hall.
In Washington, the Environmental Protection Agency convened the first National Bed Bug Summit in April. The two-day conference brought together the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pentagon, state and federal housing officials, experts and exterminators to help fight the invasion.
"A year ago, I thought bedbugs were a thing from a couple of centuries ago or maybe in a children's nursery rhyme," New Jersey state Assemblywoman Joan Quigley told the summit. "I had no idea they were a modern scourge."
Quigley successfully sponsored a bill in the New Jersey Assembly, apparently the nation's first, that would require landlords to pay for bedbug eradication in most cases or face a fine. The state Senate has not yet taken up the measure.
On a recent sunny morning at Laurel House in Asbury Park, a once-grand seaside resort, Sara went room to room in a former boarding house now used to house 28 homeless people a block or so from the boardwalk.
"I've done public housing for 20 years and never heard of bedbugs until four years ago," Steve Heisman, who heads the social service agency that runs the facility, said as he followed Sara. "Now they're public enemy No. 1."
Heisman requires residents to remove pictures from their walls and to keep their clothes and clutter to a minimum to eliminate places where bugs can hide. But he still calls exterminators back "three times a year, and that's if I'm lucky," for $10,000 treatments.
That afternoon, Sara was about 50 miles north in a working-class neighborhood of Jersey City. Wilbert took her to see whether bedbugs had returned to a recently treated three-story apartment building. Out back, someone had painted "Bedbug!" in red on a discarded mattress and crib.
"We had to throw everything out," said Saroj Bala, one of the tenants. "It was an utter nightmare. I was being bitten every night.
"She anxiously watched as Sara sniffed through her living room and bedroom. Bala smiled with relief when the dog left without finding any new bugs.
"Wonderful," she said.
bob.drogin@latimes.com
The Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Nanaimo Pesticide Ban 2010
Council Bans Pesticide Use
Bylaw means homeowners must find other methods of controlling weeds by 2010
By Derek Spalding, Daily News April 22, 2009
Nanaimo lawn lovers will have to find alternate measures to eliminate weeds and unwanted vegetation by 2010, according to a bylaw that Nanaimo city councillors resurrected on Monday.
Environmental planner Rob Lawrence said he will hire a new employee to implement the program, which includes a public education component. The $25,000 position had been abandoned last year because of council's desire to reduce tax increases.
Nanaimo joins at least 14 other communities that have banned cosmetic pesticide use and joins at least 140 Canadian cities that have made similar bans. Quebec has already banned the use of pesticides and Ontario plans to do the same. The ban includes all chemicals used to control "plants and insects in lawns and gardens to enhance their appearance for non-essential reasons," according to last year's report from the city's environment committee. The move will force pesticide suppliers to adjust to a natural product, which one retail store worker said is not as effective.
Despite the trend to eliminate such pesticide use, the economic impact can be severe. U.S. Dow AgroSciences has threatened to sue the federal government under the North American Free Trade Agreement for the economic hardship caused by Quebec's ban on lawn pesticides containing 2,4-D.
"We have a year to let people know (the bylaw) is coming," said Lawrence. "We will start the education program as soon as we can and start working on the bylaw."
A city ban will certainly affect sales and make it difficult for store owners to adjust because the industry will not adjust as it would for a provincial or national ban, according to Jared Pagani, a store supervisor at Home Hardware.
"There are citrus- and vinegar-based products, but people aren't well aware of those," he said. "It will certainly impact sales, unless we can find something to accommodate the client."
DSpalding@nanaimodailynews.com
Critics question ban on pesticides
Chemicals nixed in war on weeds
By Derek Spalding, Daily News
May 4, 2009
Customers continue to buy pesticides from lawn and garden centres throughout Nanaimo, most of them unaware of the city's decision to ban chemicals used to kill weeds, insects and fungi. Once the regulations are introduced, likely by the end of this summer, Nanaimo residents have about one more year before staff implement the bylaw, allowing for an intensive education campaign to help lawn lovers transition to more ecological solutions.
Council members in April resurrected a pesticide ban that appeared to have died last year because of cost-cutting measures. The Canadian Cancer Society's campaign to get municipalities across the country to ban such chemicals instigated the resurrection, which received wide support from Nanaimo's politicians. Though there has been no direct evidence linking pesticides to diseases in humans, an increasing number of studies support such findings, according to health and environmental groups.
Nanaimo will join at least 18 other B.C. municipalities that have banned pesticides as the province, some believe, slowly builds toward a provincial ban, similar to those adopted in Quebec and Ontario. But such political decisions comes down to poorly planned public policy, according to pesticide proponents. Within Nanaimo, residents question why the laws target homeowners, while businesses owners, such those who operate golf courses, remain free to use whatever they like.
Professional lawn and garden care employees will also feel an impact, but most companies rarely use pesticides, while others have already transitioned to ecologically friendly products. Two business owners are already predicting the ban will hurt their business because organic products simply do not work as well.
"I started out 100% organic about five years ago, but because I was expected to bring home money, I switched to (selective pesticide use)," said Blake Howe, of Bumble Bee Lawn Care.
"I was losing half my clients after a year or two when the weeds return. If there is a ban, I will have to change my business."
Industry experts recently spoke out about municipal and provincial bans on pesticides in Canada. Quebec has already banned the use of pesticides and Ontario plans to do the same.
The federal government backed up Quebec when Dow AgroSciences threatened to sue under the North American Free Trade Agreement for the economic hardship caused by the province's ban on lawn pesticides containing 2,4-D. Business owners large and small will feel the impact.
Opponents of pesticides have argued that the chemicals are potentially harmful and therefore should be banned. They argue that regulators refuse to remove the chemicals off the market because of the economic impact.
Supporters, however, question the precautionary approach taken by health and environmental lobbyists because studies have not shown the connection between pesticide use and human disease.
Without the concrete evidence, some groups have turned to a plethora of supportive studies and public opinion, as in the 2008 Ipsos Reid poll conducted for the B.C. and Yukon division of the Canadian Cancer Society. That survey showed that most British Columbians supported provincial legislation to restrict pesticide use.
All-out bans, however, should not appear until the proof is in, according to Lorne Hepworth, president of Crop Life Canada, the trade association that represents manufacturers, developers and distributors of pesticides. Most communities introduce bans without consulting with a single pesticide expert, he said. Those officials subscribe to the pesticide scare that has grown in recent years.
"The irony of all this: The ban effects the same products that farmers use," he said. "So we have politics trumping good science as a basis for public safety and the environment."
Nanaimo lawn and garden professionals use very little pesticides, according to at least three local companies. Prowest Services owner Steve Clark said pesticides make up 1% of his business, but without the ability to use pesticides when all else fails, he has no tools to combat weeds.
"It won't bother us a whole lot, but our homeowners will go back to pulling out weeds by hand," Clark explained.
"The ban should be against homeowners who aren't certified, not against us, who are licensed."
Follow this link to see full article
http://www.canada.com/Critics+question+pesticides/1561366/story.html
Bylaw means homeowners must find other methods of controlling weeds by 2010
By Derek Spalding, Daily News April 22, 2009
Nanaimo lawn lovers will have to find alternate measures to eliminate weeds and unwanted vegetation by 2010, according to a bylaw that Nanaimo city councillors resurrected on Monday.
Environmental planner Rob Lawrence said he will hire a new employee to implement the program, which includes a public education component. The $25,000 position had been abandoned last year because of council's desire to reduce tax increases.
Nanaimo joins at least 14 other communities that have banned cosmetic pesticide use and joins at least 140 Canadian cities that have made similar bans. Quebec has already banned the use of pesticides and Ontario plans to do the same. The ban includes all chemicals used to control "plants and insects in lawns and gardens to enhance their appearance for non-essential reasons," according to last year's report from the city's environment committee. The move will force pesticide suppliers to adjust to a natural product, which one retail store worker said is not as effective.
Despite the trend to eliminate such pesticide use, the economic impact can be severe. U.S. Dow AgroSciences has threatened to sue the federal government under the North American Free Trade Agreement for the economic hardship caused by Quebec's ban on lawn pesticides containing 2,4-D.
"We have a year to let people know (the bylaw) is coming," said Lawrence. "We will start the education program as soon as we can and start working on the bylaw."
A city ban will certainly affect sales and make it difficult for store owners to adjust because the industry will not adjust as it would for a provincial or national ban, according to Jared Pagani, a store supervisor at Home Hardware.
"There are citrus- and vinegar-based products, but people aren't well aware of those," he said. "It will certainly impact sales, unless we can find something to accommodate the client."
DSpalding@nanaimodailynews.com
Critics question ban on pesticides
Chemicals nixed in war on weeds
By Derek Spalding, Daily News
May 4, 2009
Customers continue to buy pesticides from lawn and garden centres throughout Nanaimo, most of them unaware of the city's decision to ban chemicals used to kill weeds, insects and fungi. Once the regulations are introduced, likely by the end of this summer, Nanaimo residents have about one more year before staff implement the bylaw, allowing for an intensive education campaign to help lawn lovers transition to more ecological solutions.
Council members in April resurrected a pesticide ban that appeared to have died last year because of cost-cutting measures. The Canadian Cancer Society's campaign to get municipalities across the country to ban such chemicals instigated the resurrection, which received wide support from Nanaimo's politicians. Though there has been no direct evidence linking pesticides to diseases in humans, an increasing number of studies support such findings, according to health and environmental groups.
Nanaimo will join at least 18 other B.C. municipalities that have banned pesticides as the province, some believe, slowly builds toward a provincial ban, similar to those adopted in Quebec and Ontario. But such political decisions comes down to poorly planned public policy, according to pesticide proponents. Within Nanaimo, residents question why the laws target homeowners, while businesses owners, such those who operate golf courses, remain free to use whatever they like.
Professional lawn and garden care employees will also feel an impact, but most companies rarely use pesticides, while others have already transitioned to ecologically friendly products. Two business owners are already predicting the ban will hurt their business because organic products simply do not work as well.
"I started out 100% organic about five years ago, but because I was expected to bring home money, I switched to (selective pesticide use)," said Blake Howe, of Bumble Bee Lawn Care.
"I was losing half my clients after a year or two when the weeds return. If there is a ban, I will have to change my business."
Industry experts recently spoke out about municipal and provincial bans on pesticides in Canada. Quebec has already banned the use of pesticides and Ontario plans to do the same.
The federal government backed up Quebec when Dow AgroSciences threatened to sue under the North American Free Trade Agreement for the economic hardship caused by the province's ban on lawn pesticides containing 2,4-D. Business owners large and small will feel the impact.
Opponents of pesticides have argued that the chemicals are potentially harmful and therefore should be banned. They argue that regulators refuse to remove the chemicals off the market because of the economic impact.
Supporters, however, question the precautionary approach taken by health and environmental lobbyists because studies have not shown the connection between pesticide use and human disease.
Without the concrete evidence, some groups have turned to a plethora of supportive studies and public opinion, as in the 2008 Ipsos Reid poll conducted for the B.C. and Yukon division of the Canadian Cancer Society. That survey showed that most British Columbians supported provincial legislation to restrict pesticide use.
All-out bans, however, should not appear until the proof is in, according to Lorne Hepworth, president of Crop Life Canada, the trade association that represents manufacturers, developers and distributors of pesticides. Most communities introduce bans without consulting with a single pesticide expert, he said. Those officials subscribe to the pesticide scare that has grown in recent years.
"The irony of all this: The ban effects the same products that farmers use," he said. "So we have politics trumping good science as a basis for public safety and the environment."
Nanaimo lawn and garden professionals use very little pesticides, according to at least three local companies. Prowest Services owner Steve Clark said pesticides make up 1% of his business, but without the ability to use pesticides when all else fails, he has no tools to combat weeds.
"It won't bother us a whole lot, but our homeowners will go back to pulling out weeds by hand," Clark explained.
"The ban should be against homeowners who aren't certified, not against us, who are licensed."
Follow this link to see full article
http://www.canada.com/Critics+question+pesticides/1561366/story.html
Friday, April 17, 2009
NATIONAL Bed Bug Summit in US !!! Will Canada Follow? We have even fewer pesticides to work with than the US.
EPA Hopes to Stop Bedbugs From Biting
Government Holds First-Ever BedbugSummit in Va.
Last Edited: Wednesday, 15 Apr 2009,
ARLINGTON, Va. - "Don't let the bedbugs bite." Doesn't seem so bad in a cheerful bedtime rhyme, but it's becoming a really big problem now that the nasty critters are invading hospitals, college dorms and even swanky hotels.
With the most effective pesticides banned, the government is trying to figure out how to respond to the biggest bedbug outbreak since World War II.
Bedbugs live in the crevices and folds of mattresses, sofas and sheets. Then, most often before dawn, they emerge to feed on human blood.
Faced with rising numbers of complaints to city information lines and increasingly frustrated landlords, hotel chains and housing authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted its first-ever bedbug summit Tuesday.
Organized by one of the agency's advisory committees, the two-day conference drew about 300 participants to a hotel in Arlington, just across the Potomac River from Washington. An Internet site notes that the hotel in question has had no reports of bedbugs.
One of the problems with controlling the reddish-brown insects, according to researchers and the pest control industry, is that there are few chemicals on the market approved for use on mattresses and other household items that are effective at controlling bedbug infestations.
Unlike roaches and ants, bedbugs are blood feeders and can't be lured by bait. It's also difficult for pesticides to reach them in every crack and crevice they hide out in.
"It is a question of reaching them, finding them," said Harold Harlan, an entomologist who has been raising bedbugs for 36 years, feeding them with his own blood. He has the bites to prove it.
The EPA, out of concern for the environment and the effects on public health, has pulled many of the chemicals that were most effective in eradicating the bugs in the U.S. At the same time, the appleseed-sized critters have developed a pesticide resistance because those chemicals are still in use in other countries.
Increasing international travel has also helped them to hitchhike into the U.S.
"One of our roles would be to learn of new products or safer products. ... What we are concerned about is that if people take things into their own hands and start using pesticides on their mattresses that aren't really registered for that, that's a problem," said Lois Rossi, director of the registration division in the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.
The EPA is not alone in trying to deal with the problem. An aide to Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., says the congressman plans to reintroduce legislation next week to expand grant programs to help public housing authorities cope with infestations.
The bill will be called the "Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite Act." "It was clear something needed to be done," said Saul Hernandez, Butterfield's legislative assistant.
Bedbugs are not known to transmit any diseases. But their bites can cause infections and allergic reactions in some people. The insects release an anticoagulant to get blood flowing, and they also excrete a numbing agent so their bites don't often wake their victims.
Those often hardest hit are the urban poor, who cannot afford to throw out all their belongings or take other drastic measures. Extermination can cost between $400-$900.
So bedbug problems increase, said Dini Miller, an entomologist and bedbug expert at Virginia Tech, who until 2001 saw bedbugs only on microscope slides dating from the 1950s. Now she gets calls and e-mails several times a day from people at their wits' end.
"I can't tell you how many people have spent the night in their bathtubs because they are so freaked out by bedbugs," Miller said. "I get these people over the phone that have lost their marbles."
Because the registration of new pesticides takes so long, one thing the EPA could do is to approve some pesticides for emergency use, Miller said. Another tactic would be to screen pesticides allowed for use by farmers to see if they are safe in household settings.
Representatives of the pest control industry will be pushing for federal funding for research into alternative solutions, such as heating, freezing or steaming the bugs out of bedrooms. "We need to have better tools," said Greg Baumann, a senior scientist at the National Pest Management Association. "We need EPA to consider all the options for us."
Government Holds First-Ever BedbugSummit in Va.
Last Edited: Wednesday, 15 Apr 2009,
ARLINGTON, Va. - "Don't let the bedbugs bite." Doesn't seem so bad in a cheerful bedtime rhyme, but it's becoming a really big problem now that the nasty critters are invading hospitals, college dorms and even swanky hotels.
With the most effective pesticides banned, the government is trying to figure out how to respond to the biggest bedbug outbreak since World War II.
Bedbugs live in the crevices and folds of mattresses, sofas and sheets. Then, most often before dawn, they emerge to feed on human blood.
Faced with rising numbers of complaints to city information lines and increasingly frustrated landlords, hotel chains and housing authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted its first-ever bedbug summit Tuesday.
Organized by one of the agency's advisory committees, the two-day conference drew about 300 participants to a hotel in Arlington, just across the Potomac River from Washington. An Internet site notes that the hotel in question has had no reports of bedbugs.
One of the problems with controlling the reddish-brown insects, according to researchers and the pest control industry, is that there are few chemicals on the market approved for use on mattresses and other household items that are effective at controlling bedbug infestations.
Unlike roaches and ants, bedbugs are blood feeders and can't be lured by bait. It's also difficult for pesticides to reach them in every crack and crevice they hide out in.
"It is a question of reaching them, finding them," said Harold Harlan, an entomologist who has been raising bedbugs for 36 years, feeding them with his own blood. He has the bites to prove it.
The EPA, out of concern for the environment and the effects on public health, has pulled many of the chemicals that were most effective in eradicating the bugs in the U.S. At the same time, the appleseed-sized critters have developed a pesticide resistance because those chemicals are still in use in other countries.
Increasing international travel has also helped them to hitchhike into the U.S.
"One of our roles would be to learn of new products or safer products. ... What we are concerned about is that if people take things into their own hands and start using pesticides on their mattresses that aren't really registered for that, that's a problem," said Lois Rossi, director of the registration division in the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.
The EPA is not alone in trying to deal with the problem. An aide to Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., says the congressman plans to reintroduce legislation next week to expand grant programs to help public housing authorities cope with infestations.
The bill will be called the "Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite Act." "It was clear something needed to be done," said Saul Hernandez, Butterfield's legislative assistant.
Bedbugs are not known to transmit any diseases. But their bites can cause infections and allergic reactions in some people. The insects release an anticoagulant to get blood flowing, and they also excrete a numbing agent so their bites don't often wake their victims.
Those often hardest hit are the urban poor, who cannot afford to throw out all their belongings or take other drastic measures. Extermination can cost between $400-$900.
So bedbug problems increase, said Dini Miller, an entomologist and bedbug expert at Virginia Tech, who until 2001 saw bedbugs only on microscope slides dating from the 1950s. Now she gets calls and e-mails several times a day from people at their wits' end.
"I can't tell you how many people have spent the night in their bathtubs because they are so freaked out by bedbugs," Miller said. "I get these people over the phone that have lost their marbles."
Because the registration of new pesticides takes so long, one thing the EPA could do is to approve some pesticides for emergency use, Miller said. Another tactic would be to screen pesticides allowed for use by farmers to see if they are safe in household settings.
Representatives of the pest control industry will be pushing for federal funding for research into alternative solutions, such as heating, freezing or steaming the bugs out of bedrooms. "We need to have better tools," said Greg Baumann, a senior scientist at the National Pest Management Association. "We need EPA to consider all the options for us."
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Just a Reminder
Bedbugs are on the prowl again
The bedbug, virtually eliminated decades ago, is taking a fierce new bite out of Victoria, with experts reporting an exponential increase in outbreaks in homes, apartments and hotels.
By Times Colonist (Victoria) August 29, 2008
The bedbug, virtually eliminated decades ago, is taking a fierce new bite out of Victoria, with experts reporting an exponential increase in outbreaks in homes, apartments and hotels.
"Since 2003 there have been huge increases year upon year," says Blair Dooley, owner of Old Island Pest Control.
"All the data I get from associations in the U.S., companies are reporting between 300 and 500 per cent increases yearly," he says, explaining that the situation is the same here.
“A lot of people are under the impression that bedbugs are invisible or that they don’t exist,” said Sean Rollo, creator of the Bed Bug Resource website and a pest-control operator in Vancouver.
“I’m amazed at the seminars I do where there’s over half the people in the room who have never heard of bedbugs.”
Nemeth, however, managed to rid himself of the bugs using diatomaceous earth, a fossil shell powder that dehydrates and kills the bugs, and some sticky tape in a roll around the bed. He's been bedbug-free for a year now, a rare occurrence for those who deal with the bugs on their own. Most infestations are only eliminated after several pesticide treatments by pest control companies. The bugs, which live by feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts, were largely believed to have been eradicated 40 years ago due to the widespread use of pesticides like DDT.
But the 21st century has seen a marked increase in infestations -- which Rollo and Dooley attribute to a change in cockroach control methods. Cockroaches used to be killed with residual pesticides, which would kill any bedbugs at the same time, but they are now killed with gel traps. As well, preventive pesticide sprayings in homes and hotels are no longer allowed under new pest control laws.
"So now if someone does bring a bedbug into a hotel room, there's nothing there to control them," says Rollo. "They could be sitting there for months before we even know."
Rollo and Dooley also blame an increase in travel and more people bringing used upholstered furniture into their homes.
The bugs can live anywhere, regardless of cleanliness -- behind baseboards, in box springs, mattresses, or small cracks in furniture. While they usually feed every five to 10 days, they are able to go without feeding for up to 18 months, which makes them extremely hard to eliminate.
All it takes is a few bugs on clothing or furniture to cause a problem, says Dooley.
In one week in July, he sprayed a house and a townhouse, as well as multiple units in two hotels and two apartment buildings. The bugs are only eliminated after multiple treatments.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bugs and Bites
Allergies and the Great Outdoors
Little bites, big pains
Little bites, big pains
From Canada.com
Insect bites are an important threat for allergy sufferers in the outdoors. Protect yourself from bugs and bites and the allergic reactions they may cause:
Insect bites are an important threat for allergy sufferers in the outdoors. Protect yourself from bugs and bites and the allergic reactions they may cause:
- Stay away from standing water (i.e., water that is not moving like in a river or ocean), e.g., swamps and birdbaths.
- Avoid wearing dark-coloured clothing.
- Avoid wearing perfume.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
- Use an insect repellant approved by Health Canada.
When choosing an insect repellent, choose a product that is best suited to you, has a Pest Control Product (PCP) registration number, and is labeled as an insect repellent for human use. Most insect repellents provide prevention against bites from black flies, mosquitoes, and ticks, but don't ward off stinging insects such as hornets, bees, or wasps.
There are several insect repellents available in Canada, but products containing DEET are the best-known. A lotion or spray containing 20-30% DEET is effective for adults. Children aged 6 months and older may use DEET, but it is important to use the correct concentration and to follow the instructions and safety precautions on the label. Do not apply DEET over sunburns, as it may cause a rash; do not apply it on cuts, and do not spray it near the eyes or mouth. Also, DEET lotion or spray may reduce the effectiveness of the sun protection of sunscreen. To avoid this interaction, do not use products that combine DEET with sunscreen, and when using both sunscreen and DEET, allow the sunscreen to absorb into the skin first before applying DEET. Once bitten, ask your pharmacist how you can relieve the itch.
( For itch relief, West Coast Pest Control Recommends an antihistamine cream for any bug bites that give you an allergic reaction)
If a bee, hornet, or wasp stings you, remove the stinger with a fingernail if it's still there - often the insect removes the stinger. It is estimated that less than 1-2% of Canadians have serious allergies to insects like bees, hornets, and wasps. However, allergic reactions to stings are potentially life-threatening emergencies that require immediate medical attention. People with an identified serious allergy should wear a MedicAlert® bracelet and carry an epinephrine injection (e.g., EpiPen®, Twinject®), which is an injection device that helps relieve the symptoms a serious allergic reaction (e.g., difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, swelling).
Ticks, known to carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, are another consideration if you spend a lot of time outdoors. Of the three kinds of ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease, two may be found in Canada. The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, can be found around Lake Erie in southern Ontario. The western black-legged tick can be found on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands and around the Fraser Delta in British Columbia.
Lyme disease can take months to appear, and the most common symptom is a migrating rash in a bull's-eye pattern. The best prevention, other than protective clothing tucked in tightly and wearing DEET repellent, is carefully checking exposed areas of your skin on a regular basis. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to best remove ticks, and whether you need to take medications.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Bees are Friends not Foe - Its important to know if its a bee or a wasp before killing a nest.
Buzzing to a different beat
By Rebecca Aldous - Victoria News
Published: March 04, 2009 11:00 AM Updated: March 05, 2009 11:45 AM
Published: March 04, 2009 11:00 AM Updated: March 05, 2009 11:45 AM
The green door to the basement swings open.
A yellow hue from a dangling light bulb and a comforting sappy, sweet scent precedes John Defayette’s greeting.
“If you were the only one on the planet and had the choice of one other creature what would it be?” the 79-year-old asks, a knowing smile widening across his face.
“Rabbits,” I reply, thinking of their fast-breeding habits, rabbit stew, a nice fur coat and that, with the exception of a Monty Python movie, I’d never heard of death via rabbit attack.
Defayette moves over to a workbench by the door, seeking to prove me wrong. On it lies a rectangular box with frames slotted into it. Each one is covered in wax honeycombs and although empty, the smell of honey haunts them.
Picking out one frame, Defayette scratches a reddish goo from the wooden surface with his finger nail. The substance folds on itself like fudge scraped off a spoon.
“Propolis,” he says, before putting his finger in his mouth.
Bees collect propolis from tree buds and sap flows, he explains. It holds anti-fungal and antibiotic qualities and the bees spread it around the entrance to their hives, sparing them from infections.
While talking Defayette digs a small blue bottle out of a cardboard box, untwists the top and fills an eyedropper with a dark brown liquid.
“This is propolis with alcohol,” he says, placing the open bottle under my nose.
A strong scent races up my nostrils, kicking me back to the moment I first smelled vodka. Defayette places the eyedropper on his tongue.
“I love it,” he says. “It kills halitosis and gingivitis.”
The basement is full of plastic buckets, metal tubs and glass jam jars full of golden tar, equipment and rewards from Defayette’s five years of beekeeping. The first year he placed two wooden hives on small tables beside the ivy-ridden fence in his backyard bordering Grant Street in Fernwood. Now he has seven hives.
Each can produce up to 70 pounds of honey per summer, another reason he notes one would want bees with them if nothing else. “In a typical season, I probably have a million bees in this yard,” he says, pointing to the open door.
Defayette’s “girls” tirelessly roam a two-kilometre radius from the garden. They like the clover at Stadacona Park and blossom clusters engulfing Victoria’s boulevards. They also enjoy the neighbourhood’s flowers and, of course, the apple and cherry tree in Defayette’s yard. The variety is evident on the frames, as he points to the shades of brown, gold and yellow throughout the honeycomb. Each shade reveals its own flavour, he notes.
“Rabbits,” he says, shaking his head as he picks up two small shot glasses.
“When you smell this you will think of the nectar of the gods,” he says, filling the cups with a clear liquid. “This is the original wine, mead.”
Over in Esquimalt, Bob Chappell’s basement looks very different. It’s full of spools of wires, soldering equipment and gadgets. He too is a beekeeper, but for a native species – orchard mason bees. They are solitary, don’t make honey, and their blue-black sheen sees them often mistaken for flies.
Upstairs in a small back room overlooking the yard, he quietly slips on a DVD. A giant black and white bee pops onto the screen.
“They only have one thought on their minds,” he says, as we watch footage of the bees bringing pollen back to long tubular holes cut into a flat, wooden slat.
Chappell guesses he’s captured 100 hours of bee footage from a tiny camera mounted on Plexiglas on top of the tubes.
In and out they go, each time bringing more pollen on the bottom of their abdomen to add to a pollen ball. The bee then lays a egg on the ball, which will provide food to the larvae, before sealing the two components off with mud and starting the process again.
“I never really paid much attention to bees before,” Chappell says. “I have quite an appreciation for them now.”
Once the larvae consumes the pollen ball and spins a cocoon, Chappell takes them out of the tubes, washes the small brown cocoons in a tub to rid them of mites and places them in a box. He hopes some will hatch this month and begin their six-week life cycle undertaking the hectic job of pollinating up to 1,600 flowers a day.
There are hundreds of urban beekeepers tending to their colonies in the Island’s major cities, especially in Victoria, Vancouver Island bee inspector Brenda Jager says, noting bees and cities make good bedfellows.
In cities, flowers bloom all summer long as green thumbs tenderly water them, and the bees’ work in return boosts the productivity of herb gardens.
For two years Jager has travelled as far north as Campbell River checking the health of beekeeper’s hives and educating newbies. “For me and for many people, (bees) are the top of the insect order for intelligence and the ability to abstract,” she says. “You could say they think.”
raldous@vicnews.com
A yellow hue from a dangling light bulb and a comforting sappy, sweet scent precedes John Defayette’s greeting.
“If you were the only one on the planet and had the choice of one other creature what would it be?” the 79-year-old asks, a knowing smile widening across his face.
“Rabbits,” I reply, thinking of their fast-breeding habits, rabbit stew, a nice fur coat and that, with the exception of a Monty Python movie, I’d never heard of death via rabbit attack.
Defayette moves over to a workbench by the door, seeking to prove me wrong. On it lies a rectangular box with frames slotted into it. Each one is covered in wax honeycombs and although empty, the smell of honey haunts them.
Picking out one frame, Defayette scratches a reddish goo from the wooden surface with his finger nail. The substance folds on itself like fudge scraped off a spoon.
“Propolis,” he says, before putting his finger in his mouth.
Bees collect propolis from tree buds and sap flows, he explains. It holds anti-fungal and antibiotic qualities and the bees spread it around the entrance to their hives, sparing them from infections.
While talking Defayette digs a small blue bottle out of a cardboard box, untwists the top and fills an eyedropper with a dark brown liquid.
“This is propolis with alcohol,” he says, placing the open bottle under my nose.
A strong scent races up my nostrils, kicking me back to the moment I first smelled vodka. Defayette places the eyedropper on his tongue.
“I love it,” he says. “It kills halitosis and gingivitis.”
The basement is full of plastic buckets, metal tubs and glass jam jars full of golden tar, equipment and rewards from Defayette’s five years of beekeeping. The first year he placed two wooden hives on small tables beside the ivy-ridden fence in his backyard bordering Grant Street in Fernwood. Now he has seven hives.
Each can produce up to 70 pounds of honey per summer, another reason he notes one would want bees with them if nothing else. “In a typical season, I probably have a million bees in this yard,” he says, pointing to the open door.
Defayette’s “girls” tirelessly roam a two-kilometre radius from the garden. They like the clover at Stadacona Park and blossom clusters engulfing Victoria’s boulevards. They also enjoy the neighbourhood’s flowers and, of course, the apple and cherry tree in Defayette’s yard. The variety is evident on the frames, as he points to the shades of brown, gold and yellow throughout the honeycomb. Each shade reveals its own flavour, he notes.
“Rabbits,” he says, shaking his head as he picks up two small shot glasses.
“When you smell this you will think of the nectar of the gods,” he says, filling the cups with a clear liquid. “This is the original wine, mead.”
Over in Esquimalt, Bob Chappell’s basement looks very different. It’s full of spools of wires, soldering equipment and gadgets. He too is a beekeeper, but for a native species – orchard mason bees. They are solitary, don’t make honey, and their blue-black sheen sees them often mistaken for flies.
Upstairs in a small back room overlooking the yard, he quietly slips on a DVD. A giant black and white bee pops onto the screen.
“They only have one thought on their minds,” he says, as we watch footage of the bees bringing pollen back to long tubular holes cut into a flat, wooden slat.
Chappell guesses he’s captured 100 hours of bee footage from a tiny camera mounted on Plexiglas on top of the tubes.
In and out they go, each time bringing more pollen on the bottom of their abdomen to add to a pollen ball. The bee then lays a egg on the ball, which will provide food to the larvae, before sealing the two components off with mud and starting the process again.
“I never really paid much attention to bees before,” Chappell says. “I have quite an appreciation for them now.”
Once the larvae consumes the pollen ball and spins a cocoon, Chappell takes them out of the tubes, washes the small brown cocoons in a tub to rid them of mites and places them in a box. He hopes some will hatch this month and begin their six-week life cycle undertaking the hectic job of pollinating up to 1,600 flowers a day.
There are hundreds of urban beekeepers tending to their colonies in the Island’s major cities, especially in Victoria, Vancouver Island bee inspector Brenda Jager says, noting bees and cities make good bedfellows.
In cities, flowers bloom all summer long as green thumbs tenderly water them, and the bees’ work in return boosts the productivity of herb gardens.
For two years Jager has travelled as far north as Campbell River checking the health of beekeeper’s hives and educating newbies. “For me and for many people, (bees) are the top of the insect order for intelligence and the ability to abstract,” she says. “You could say they think.”
raldous@vicnews.com
Friday, February 13, 2009
From: Saanich News Feb 4, 2008
.
.
.
.
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When squirrels go bad
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Although this grey squirrel was photographed at Beacon Hill Park, they are found throughout the region and pose a serious threat to the indigenous red squirrel population.
Introduced in 1960s, Grey squirrels are a furry plague, biologists say
They cloak themselves in grey or black. They carry diseases that kill off their red-furred cousins. They murder smaller, defenceless species. And they're on the march up Vancouver Island.
Sounds like the plot for a science fiction novel but it's not. It's a story played out daily in Greater Victoria by Eastern Grey squirrels. Adorable as they may appear, dashing across lawns and up trees, they are a scourge, say Ministry of Environment officials.
Introduced to Vancouver Island in the mid-1960s, when three Eastern Greys from Ontario escaped from a Metchosin farm, the squirrels actually be black, brownish grey or colours in between. The rodents have now spread as far west as Sooke and as far north as Duncan.
"They're moving into habitat where we'd normally have native Red squirrels - they're displacing our (native Red squirrel) species," said biologist Michael Stalberg. As head of the ministry's Vancouver Island Fish and Wildlife section, Stalberg said Greys are twice the size of Red squirrels, they usually win fights over food and territory. They also carry diseases that can overwhelm Reds.
Even more bizarre, Greys are also linked to a decline in native bird populations.
"They kill and eat birds in bird houses and then use the houses to raise their young," Stalberg said, advising people to only use squirrel-proof bird feeders.
In addition, Grey squirrels are a threat to Garry oak trees. By biting through acorns before stashing them so the nuts won't sprout in winter storage they limit potential re-growth. If they get into humans' houses they can chew on wires, remove shingles and shakes, and chew through eaves to nest in attics, roofs and chimneys. The squirrels also frustrate gardeners who find the rodents dig up lawns and plant bulbs.
Take the example of geneticist Joe Harvey, who moved from Sooke to Oak Bay last year. On his 11-acre spread in Sooke, Harvey had been more concerned about deer than squirrels. A plant breeder with a specialty in halibores, Harvey and his wife Linda now deal with squirrels in Oak Bay digging up potted plants, even four-inch seedlings. In a recent letter to the Oak Bay News, Harvey wondered if it's okay to capture squirrels and eat them. We checked and it turns out it is – as long as it's a live trap.
Biologists have no idea how many Grey squirrels there now are on Vancouver Island. Only one study has been done in B.C. and that tracked the rodents' movements in Vancouver's Stanley Park. That report found an average of 2.2 per hectare, rising to 8.8 per hectare during breeding season.
Grey squirrel territory has expanded dramatically on southern Vancouver Island, to the point where Fish and Wildlife officials are posting notices asking the public for help. If Greys are seen west of Sooke or north of Duncan, ministry staff want to know. In the meantime, Stalberg says Eastern Grey squirrels "can be killed anytime and anywhere."
They can be live trapped and humanely killed within urban areas or shot in rural areas. But, if they are captured, Stalberg is adamant about one thing.
"People need to stop live-trapping and relocating squirrels," he said. "Releasing them somewhere else only increases the spread."
Harvey doesn't think he will go to the trouble of trapping squirrels for dinner. "They're too scrawny," he said. "You'd need a couple for a meal."
For more information about stopping the Eastern Grey squirrel migration, call Ministry of Environment's squirrel hotline: 1-250-751-3100.
Although this grey squirrel was photographed at Beacon Hill Park, they are found throughout the region and pose a serious threat to the indigenous red squirrel population.
Introduced in 1960s, Grey squirrels are a furry plague, biologists say
They cloak themselves in grey or black. They carry diseases that kill off their red-furred cousins. They murder smaller, defenceless species. And they're on the march up Vancouver Island.
Sounds like the plot for a science fiction novel but it's not. It's a story played out daily in Greater Victoria by Eastern Grey squirrels. Adorable as they may appear, dashing across lawns and up trees, they are a scourge, say Ministry of Environment officials.
Introduced to Vancouver Island in the mid-1960s, when three Eastern Greys from Ontario escaped from a Metchosin farm, the squirrels actually be black, brownish grey or colours in between. The rodents have now spread as far west as Sooke and as far north as Duncan.
"They're moving into habitat where we'd normally have native Red squirrels - they're displacing our (native Red squirrel) species," said biologist Michael Stalberg. As head of the ministry's Vancouver Island Fish and Wildlife section, Stalberg said Greys are twice the size of Red squirrels, they usually win fights over food and territory. They also carry diseases that can overwhelm Reds.
Even more bizarre, Greys are also linked to a decline in native bird populations.
"They kill and eat birds in bird houses and then use the houses to raise their young," Stalberg said, advising people to only use squirrel-proof bird feeders.
In addition, Grey squirrels are a threat to Garry oak trees. By biting through acorns before stashing them so the nuts won't sprout in winter storage they limit potential re-growth. If they get into humans' houses they can chew on wires, remove shingles and shakes, and chew through eaves to nest in attics, roofs and chimneys. The squirrels also frustrate gardeners who find the rodents dig up lawns and plant bulbs.
Take the example of geneticist Joe Harvey, who moved from Sooke to Oak Bay last year. On his 11-acre spread in Sooke, Harvey had been more concerned about deer than squirrels. A plant breeder with a specialty in halibores, Harvey and his wife Linda now deal with squirrels in Oak Bay digging up potted plants, even four-inch seedlings. In a recent letter to the Oak Bay News, Harvey wondered if it's okay to capture squirrels and eat them. We checked and it turns out it is – as long as it's a live trap.
Biologists have no idea how many Grey squirrels there now are on Vancouver Island. Only one study has been done in B.C. and that tracked the rodents' movements in Vancouver's Stanley Park. That report found an average of 2.2 per hectare, rising to 8.8 per hectare during breeding season.
Grey squirrel territory has expanded dramatically on southern Vancouver Island, to the point where Fish and Wildlife officials are posting notices asking the public for help. If Greys are seen west of Sooke or north of Duncan, ministry staff want to know. In the meantime, Stalberg says Eastern Grey squirrels "can be killed anytime and anywhere."
They can be live trapped and humanely killed within urban areas or shot in rural areas. But, if they are captured, Stalberg is adamant about one thing.
"People need to stop live-trapping and relocating squirrels," he said. "Releasing them somewhere else only increases the spread."
Harvey doesn't think he will go to the trouble of trapping squirrels for dinner. "They're too scrawny," he said. "You'd need a couple for a meal."
For more information about stopping the Eastern Grey squirrel migration, call Ministry of Environment's squirrel hotline: 1-250-751-3100.
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